Baltimore Orioles: DJ Stewart News Adds Wrinkle To Outfield Competition

The Baltimore Orioles will find themselves without an outfielder until late-spring training.

The 2019 Major League Baseball season is still ongoing, yet the Baltimore Orioles have already received word that outfielder DJ Stewart will be out until at least spring training.

As first reported by MASN’s Roch Kubatko, Stewart underwent a “microfracture procedure” on his ankle, the same ankle he injured soon after his first call-up this season when he collided with second baseman Hanser Alberto on a pop up in foul territory.

Stewart is not expected to resume baseball activities until “late spring training”, meaning it’s likely to be well into the 2020 season before Stewart is ready for game action. The injury provides a major twist to the Orioles outfield competition next season.

DJ Stewart was expected to be in competition with outfielders Anthony Santander, Dwight Smith Jr. and others, including Cedric Mullins, for one corner outfield spot in the starting lineup, two if the Orioles are able to find a new home for Trey Mancini at another position.

The door is now open for an additional outfielder to make the Opening Day roster, whether it’s Mullins, Smith Jr, or a veteran free agent brought in during the offseason. Stewart is projected by many national evaluators to develop into a fourth-outfielder, but the former first-round pick out of Florida State has been unable to catch a break and have a full opportunity to prove himself.

Stewart put up fantastic numbers in Triple-A this season, hitting .291 with a .396 OBP, 12 home runs, and a 139 wRC+. His 13.7% walk rate wasn’t far off his strikeout rate of 18.4% and his line drive rate of 20.6% nearly matched his career-high from his breakout 2017 season in Double-A (20 HR, 20 SB, and a 137 wRC+ across 126 games).

Unfortunately, and likely due to some ankle troubles, Stewart recorded a wRC+ of 82 and hit just .238 in 44 games at the major league level. His defensive struggles were well-highlighted and playing time became harder to come by with a growing group of outfielders demanding action as the season came to a close.

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So, who steps up and replaces Stewart this spring? Dwight Smith Jr.showed stretches of hot play at the plate, but his defense left a lot to be desired. Cedric Mullins hit an ugly .094 in his 22 games this season, but has the speed and defensive abilities to slot in as a reserve outfielder (and he’s on a specialized development plan this offseason). One of them has a big opportunity in spring training to earn not just a roster spot, but a starting job in the outfield.

Lastly, will the Orioles bring back Mason Williams to fight for a job in spring training? Signed as a minor league free agent before the 2019 season, Williams slashed .308/.371/.477 with 36 extra-base hits and a wRC+ of 117 in Triple-A before a late-season call-up.

An injury after crashing into the outfield wall limited him to just 11 games with the Orioles, going 8-30 (.267) with one double, three walks, and a stolen base. His speed in the outfield is an asset on a team that struggled defensively in 2019.

If Baltimore is going to look to add a veteran outfield piece or two, bringing Williams back makes a lot of sense. He earned a shot with his play down on the farm, is familiar with the staff, and will cost next to nothing, financially.

The 2020 season isn’t lost for DJ Stewart, but there’s the possibility of a tall mountain to climb if he wants to get back to the major leagues, once healthy. Here’s to a speedy recovery.